Yesterday was a largely sunny day in east Northants.
I met a friend for lunch and made several phone calls on my way home – usually from highpoints in the countryside with expansive views.
Everywhere one looked there were pairs of displaying Buzzards. The most I saw at once was 13 birds in the air – it looked like six pairs and a single bird to me.
And there were Red Kites too.
And an occasional Kestrel.
And as I was on the ‘phone to a friend, luckily a birding friend, a Peregrine flew past and scared some Wood Pigeons. A Peregrine in the middle of the east Northants countryside
We must have done something right over the last few years.
I bet some of you saw Brimstones yesterday in sunny warm woods in southern England.
Spring is creeping up on us.
Obviously no grouse moors in Northants.
Andy – not that I’ve found so far…
I managed a first 2017 visit to Walthamstow Reservoirs, now 20 minutes from home. Not too much spring in the birdlife, plenty otherwise. Couple of very fine Goldeneye, GC Grebes just dozing in the sunshine. Lots of work going on, churned up tracks, ‘no public access’ signs, and drained reservoirs. Some folk are worried by the megabucks being spent here, but a fine place like this should be accessible to all, only people can save nature and only if they get to know and appreciate it in their local environment.
Yesterday was lovely in south Oxfordshire.
Many Red Kite , far more in evidence than Buzzard, Kestrel, Sparrowhawk, Green Woodpecker noisy,Coltsfoot and Celandine. No Goshawk up.
Hope for a Chiffchaff this week. Saw a Dunlin on a small puddle in field near Lechlade on Sunday.
Spring can’t come soon enough.
Saw 20 buzzards in the air (verified by my partner, Helen) over the Marcle Ridge in Herefordshire just south of the radio mast at 1700 today, 7 March. Wondered what’s going on? Breeding display or preparing to roost in adjacent woodland at dusk?
James
In Somerset for example, observers have seen buzzards in autumn migrating in numbers similar to the ones you saw…..so perhaps you observed their return migration? (Unlikely to be anything to do with display – though they could roost communally in woodland as they migrate).
I don’t think anyone yet knows where they are coming from or going to….
Nick
Have you seen the front of the latest ‘Country Life’, celebrating birds of prey as ‘the majestic rulers of the skies’. Oh the irony, given their constituency!
Mark
Maybe your peregrine was raised in a relatively safe urban setting? The Derby Cathedral pair for example have fledged 37 young in 11 seasons whereas in disused quarries in the White Peak, many if not most eggs/chicks are still being stolen every year to feed the lucrative arabian market where the rise of falcon racing (and betting thereon) now requires huge numbers of birds to be imported….
And is it not possible that some (even some raptor) species may have increased and spread without any specific human influence, good or bad? Think collared dove for example….
Nick
Yesterday, I saw quite a rare sight for my area. Four Buzzards over the hills near Trough of Bowland. I consider myself very lucky indeed – in my neck of the woods as soon as these birds or similar take to the skies, they’re in danger of becoming ‘flying mince’ at any given moment. I’ll enjoy them while I can.
Sadly, not a Hare in sight, boxing or not.
Shelagh 7Y